Axum's Last King: Dil Na'od and the Zagwe Coup

In this episode of The Kingdom of Axum: Rome's Forgotten African Rival, Lucas and Luna explore the shadowy figure of Dil Na'od, the last king of the Aksumite dynasty. Drawing on the medieval hagiography of Tekle Haymanot and the Bete Amanuel chronicles, they examine the account of a coup by a regional governor named Mara Takla Haymanot, who supposedly overthrew Dil Na'od in the 10th century and founded the Zagwe dynasty. Lucas explains how this narrative, preserved in the saints' lives and later royal chronicles, may be more legend than history, perhaps conflating several centuries of decline. They discuss the alternative theory that the Zagwe dynasty emerged from the Agaw people of Lasta, and how the Solomonic restoration later retconned Dil Na'od as a saintly king whose line was preserved through his daughter, allowing a return to legitimacy. The conversation touches on archaeological evidence from Lalibela and the problematic dating of the transition. This episode dives deep into the historiographical debate: was Dil Na'od a real king, or a convenient myth created to legitimize the Solomonic dynasty? #DilNaod #ZagweDynasty #MaraTaklaHaymanot #TekleHaymanot #BeteAmanuel #AgawPeople #Lasta #Lalibela #SolomonicDynasty #Aksumite #EthiopianHistory #MedievalAfrica #Hagiography #RoyalChronicles #10thCentury #KingList #FexingoHistory #History #KingdomOfAxum #AksumiteEmpire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo